12.1.1. 
The County Clerk is the election authority for Jefferson County.
12.1.2. 
Every person who becomes a candidate for an elected County Office must declare his or her registered party affiliation or that he or she is filing as an "Independent" without a registered political party affiliation.
12.1.3. 
Of all Persons who declare the same registered political party affiliation when filing, only one Person may stand for election in the general election. The Person to stand for election for a registered political party in the general election is to be nominated from all Persons who declared the same registered political party affiliation by a plurality of the votes cast at the primary election immediately preceding the general election.
12.1.4. 
A Person who declares when filing for election as a Council Member that he or she is an "Independent" without a registered political party affiliation is not qualified to stand for election in the general election unless such Person files with the County Clerk, at the time of his or her filing, petitions for placing his or her name on the general election ballot bearing the signatures of Registered Voters. If such person is a candidate for Council Member to take office on January 1, 2010, he or she must file petitions bearing the signatures of at least 215 signatures of Registered Voters. If such Person is a candidate for any other County Office, including for Council Member to take office after January 1, 2010, he or she must file petitions bearing the signatures of Registered Voters at least equal in number to 2% of all votes cast for that County Office in the immediately prior election at which the holder of that office was to be elected, except that in the case of the election of the County Executive in November, 2010, the petitions must bear the signatures of Registered Voters at least equal in number to 2% of all votes cast for the Presiding Commissioner of Jefferson County in November 2006.
12.1.5. 
The ballot in every general and primary election in which a Person is a candidate for a County Office must show the registered party affiliation of such Person or that such Person has declared that he or she is an "Independent", as applicable. The ballot in every general and primary election at which a County Officer is to be elected must provide in accordance with Missouri Law a space or means for entering the name of a write-in candidate for that County Office.
12.1.6. 
Fees payable upon filing for election and the procedures for elections are to be as provided by Law.
12.1.7. 
Every Person who is elected or appointed to a County Office, before assuming the powers and duties of that County Office, must file with the County Clerk a certificate of election or appointment, as applicable. Every Person who is elected or appointed to a County Office, before assuming the powers and duties of that County Office, must also orally swear or affirm before the County Clerk, and subscribe and file with the County Clerk the same written oath or affirmation, that he or she is qualified under this Charter to hold such County Office, that he or she will faithfully perform the duties of that office, and that he or she will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Missouri Constitution.
To be qualified to be elected to any elective office, a Person must meet the following minimum requirements, in addition to every other qualification requirement for that office specified in this Charter:
12.2.1. 
He or she must be a Registered Voter in Jefferson County at the time of filing for election;
12.2.2. 
He or she must be a resident of Jefferson County for the twelve months before he or she files for election;
12.2.3. 
He or she must be at least 24 years of age when he or she files for election; and
12.2.4. 
He or she must be a Citizen for twelve months before he or she files for election.
To be qualified to serve in any elective office, a Person must meet the same minimum requirements throughout his or her period of service.
12.3.1. 
An elected County Office becomes vacant upon the death, resignation, removal from office or forfeiture of office as prescribed by this Charter or by Law of the Person holding that County Office. If there is no candidate for an elected County Office in a general election at which the holder of that County Office is to be elected, that County Office becomes vacant on the January 1st following that general election.
12.3.2. 
If any elected County Officer while in office fails to meet any of the qualification requirements in this Charter for service in his or her County Office, or ceases to reside in Jefferson County, or pleads guilty to or is convicted of a felony as defined in any Law, or violates any prohibition in ARTICLE IX of this Charter, he or she forfeits his or her office immediately upon adoption by the County Council by the affirmative vote of All Council Votes of a resolution declaring a finding by the County Council of that failure.
12.3.3. 
If the County Office held by any elected County Officer other than the County Executive or a Council Member becomes vacant, the County Executive must appoint a Person to hold that office until the January 1st following the next general election. If the office of the County Executive becomes vacant, the County Council must appoint a Person to hold that office until the January 1st following the next general election. In either case, a successor is to be elected at the next general election for the unexpired or a full term, as applicable.
12.3.4. 
If there is a vacancy on the County Council, the County Council, by a majority vote of the remaining serving Council Members, must appoint a Person to hold that office until the end of the term of the vacant Council Member.
12.3.5. 
In every case where a Person is as appointed as provided in this Charter to fill a vacancy in an elected County Office, the Person appointed must have an affiliation with the same registered political party as the Person replaced, if the Person replaced was affiliated with a registered political party.